A man who was on the run after he allegedly murdered his wife in front of their children was arrested, according to police.
A witness spotted Jeremiah Monell, 32, in Folsom, New Jersey Monday around 2:45 p.m. and contacted the New Jersey State Police Buena Vista Barracks, according to investigators. Responding troopers then found Monell hiding in a wooded area off US Highway 322, police said. He was then arrested and taken into custody without incident.
Monell is accused of stabbing his estranged wife, Tara O'Shea-Watson, 35, inside her home on Raymond Drive in Commercial Township on the morning of December 19, 2016.
O'Shea-Watson was found unresponsive and unconscious at the home and was later pronounced dead. Police said the estranged couple's 12-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter were inside the home at the time of the stabbing. Child protective services cared for the children.
"He just had pure hatred in his heart to do something like this," said O'Shea-Watson's cousin Bryan Dunn. "Especially with the kids in the house." [[407697145, C]]
Investigators said Monell fled the scene in the same 1994 blue Chevrolet S10 pickup truck that they later found on December 20. Troopers later announced a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
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Monell, who was taken to an area hospital for a medical evaluation following his arrest, faces murder and weapons charges.
O'Shea-Watson's best friend Jen Messek told NBC10 if not for custody issues regarding the couple's pending divorce, Tara would have left New Jersey for good and moved to Tennessee.
"I didn't see the restraining order but she did have one," Messek said. "This is a tragedy. Not just for the family and the children but for the community." [[408158805, C]]
